Monir Farmanfarmaian

Third Line Gallery, Doha
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2008

Doha, Third Line Gallery, Recollection: Works by Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, 2008

This work is in very good condition. All scratches and dents to the mirrors are inherent to the artist’s working process. There are some light rubbing marks to the outer aluminium frame. The catalogue illustration fails to convey the reflective nature of the mirrors.
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Monir Farmanfarmaian is considered a pioneer within the Contemporary art world, and her work is regarded as a source of great inspiration to the current generation of Middle Eastern artists. Farmanfarmaian’s artwork draws from classical Iranian culture and traditions combining a unique blend of indigenous and avant-garde to create an elegantly distinctive style. Through her unique creative language the artist reinterprets Islamic geometric designs in a variety of mediums.

Farmanfarmaian’s curiosity and thirst for cultural exploration fuelled her extensive travels within Iran, during which she visited various ancient cities to study the crafts of nomadic tribes. Subsequent to her travels, Farmanfarmaian began to experiment with the techniques and methods she had observed. The present work Three Brothers, is an exemplary piece which encompasses such methods im which the artist has readapted reverse-glass painting, Khatam kari (inlaid marquetry) and Aineh kari (mirror mosaics) to create a breathtakingly modern geometric mirror triptych. Aineh kari was a prominent decorative style often featured in the interiors of Persian stately homes and palaces, including the Hall of Mirrors in the Golestan Palace, Tehran and the Shrine of Imam Reza, Mashhad, two architectural structures which feature typical execution of such ornamentation.

Farmanfarmaian’s use of the mirror in her works acts as a record of her life experiences: each fragment reflects the surrounding world and refers to notions of one’s self, nostalgia and memories. Three Brothers alludes to a pivotal moment in the artist’s life, recalling her memories of travelling to the US upon a warship with her brother Ahmad, her fiancé (and future first husband) Manouchehr, and another male friend Hassan. The quartet travelled for twenty seven days from the south of Iran through India, Australia, ultimately arriving in Los Angeles. Once in Los Angeles, Farmanfarmaian decided to finally settle in New York. The three brothers offered a semblance of protection for Farmanfarmian’s journey to the US, and were the underlying inspiration for the present work. Her travels to the US were integral to her development as a Contemporary artist; within her mosaic compositions, Farmanfarmian constructs a sense of wholeness from the fragments of her life in two distinct places, echoing the reflection of a life well lived.

Archetypal to Farmanfarmaian’s mirror compositions, the tessellating patterns within Three Brothers gives the impression of incessant repetition, a symbol of infinity and the boundless nature of destiny. Ultimately, Farmanfarmaian’s work is a magnificent celebration of classical Persian art, and the various nomadic craft techniques absorbed during her various travels. Three Brothers is a spiritual and visual amalgamation of Persian elements, summarising a transitional stage in Farmanfarmaian’s life, effectively translated through her innately recognisable visual vocabulary. Three Brothers becomes a cutting edge work with a universally comprehensibly modern aesthetic.